by Jennifer Tipton

Thursday, July 13th was a cool and breezy evening, nonetheless, about 150 folks showed up to support the ribbon cutting for the new rooms at the City Center. Including our City Councilmember Matt LaVere who addressed the crowd “I am so honored to be here tonight. We’re all here to recognize Jim Duran and the Board for everything they do for the City of Ventura and for making a huge difference in our community!”

The City Center is a transitional living program to help the homeless get their lives back on track. “It’s not a handout, it’s a working program”, as one of the graduates stated. Residents do pay rent and are required to save a portion of their income. Jim Duran, who heads the City Center tells me they are also required to advance in their place of employment or go to trade school, college or any other training that would advance them financially.

The newly renovated eight rooms provide housing for the graduates of the initial phase of the program until they are fully ready to be independent, several rooms are already occupied.

With a few “hiccups” along the way, construction took longer than anticipated, so completion was truly a celebration! Jim Harrasta came in as a carpenter to do windows and says he “just ended up staying” as a project manager. There have been 3 project managers to date and Jim says, “it’s been a collaborative effort.”

Sponsors of the newly renovated rooms include:

Lowe’s Ventura, Bill & Elise Kearney, Coast Water Solutions, Shondra & Eric Vielbig, Pacific Western Bank, Lori & Andre Nintcheff, Trinity Lutheran Church, Wendy Lawson (to honor her mother Laura Sann) and Leadership Ventura – class of 2011.

Although these rooms are completed, the project is ongoing with a playground in progress, plans for a learning center and additional rooms. The goal is to have 30 functioning rooms and since the current rooms aren’t large enough for families greater than 5, there is talk of perhaps putting two rooms together.

The rooms are small with a bathroom but do not include a kitchen, but there is a large kitchen (sponsored by Leadership Ventura) available for resident’s use.

The new landscaping was done by Chris & Kristal Shreenon from Bird Dog Landscape and Irrigation, they currently have a daughter with an infant and a 4-year-old residing at the City Center.

For more information- thecitycenter.org or 628-9035. Located at 837 E. Thompson.

The Ventura Family YMCA has received a grant from Autism Speaks which will provide funding for Water Safety & Swim Lessons for Children and Adults in our community with Autism. The announcement was made by Nicole Eads, Support Services and Development Director of the Ventura Family YMCA.

“Learning to swim and safety around water are necessary life skills. We are grateful to Autism Speaks for their financial support and are pleased to partner with them to provide these important lessons and safety tips,” said Mrs. Eads.

These free lessons are one-on-one and available on a first come, first served basis. Membership is not necessary to qualify. For more information, or to reserve a spot, please contact Nicole Eads at [email protected] or 642.2131 x 11.

The Ventura Family YMCA Board of Managers is proud to announce the election of Pattie Braga as its new Board Chair. Pattie has served as a member of the Y’s Board for four years and Chair Elect for one year. She began her two-year term as Board Chair on July 1st.

Pattie currently serves as Senior Community Development Officer at Ventura County Credit Union. Her responsibilities include hosting financial literacy seminars for many local community organizations and businesses as well as a variety of other community related projects. Pattie is also a director on the board of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce and is on the executive board for the Ventura County Leadership Academy.

“I was born and raised in Ventura and have a strong sense of ownership for our wonderful community,” said Ms. Braga. “I feel the biggest assets here are the beautiful coastline and the amazing people that live, work and volunteer here. The Ventura Family YMCA embodies the unique spirit of Ventura and impacts the lives of so many in our community.”

As Board Chair, Braga will lead a board of 21 volunteers and work closely with the Executive Director on many strategic endevors including facility expansion, outreach program growth and increased fundraising.

For more information about the Ventura Family YMCA, visit http://www.ciymca.org/ventura/ or call 642-2131.

by Kevin O’Connor

Mosquitoes and ticks have started biting again. In the Eastern USA you can expect to start seeing mosquitoes as early as April and ticks by May. In California in warmer areas, the pest season can be much longer. In the next few months you can also expect to be hearing a bit more about diseases spread by these arthropods. As we move into our second summer of Zika you will likely be hearing a lot about mosquitoes, but it is important to keep ticks in mind as well.

For the first time, ticks have been reported in areas of California. They are not only back East. Ticks and mosquitoes are not just annoying pests that leave you itchy. Together these arthropods are responsible for most of the emerging infectious diseases in the world today. Additionally, with only a few exceptions, the diseases spread by these arthropods cannot be prevented by vaccinations.

The best defense against these highly efficient arthropods is taking measures to avoid getting bitten, such as using insect repellents. However, not all repellent methods are equal. Here are some facts regarding repellents that your family may want to know.

DEET is commonly considered the gold standard of repellents, this chemical ingredient has for decades proven itself as effective against mosquitoes and ticks. Decades of use of DEET have not resulted in any significant detriment to health including no evidence of causing cancer or resulting in birth defects when used as directed. We have learned that DEET should not be worn under sunscreen or clothing and is a strong eye irritant and may damage some plastics and fabrics.

Picaridin is a chemical found in plants that produce black pepper. Some studies have indicated that picaridin may be slightly more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET and may also provide longer protection times. It is odorless, non-irritating, and does not melt plastics.

IR3535 is a chemical that has been used in Europe for more than 20 years with no serious adverse effects reported. Evidence suggests that IR3535 is as effective as DEET at repelling ticks, but is slightly less effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. We find that concentrations weaker than 10% may not be effective, and we should avoid brands with added sunscreen. IR3535 is also a serious eye irritant and also melts some plastic and damages some fabrics.

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus originates as an extract of the eucalyptus tree. The tree extract can be refined to create an oil known as PMD. It has been reported that this oil is not recommended for use on children 3 years old or younger. It can irritate lungs and may contain possible allergens.

In final analysis of all repellents, do not rely on just repellents. Use clothing to protect as much skin as possible and perform regular tick checks. Families must always follow the product label instructions. When used as directed, these insect repellents are proved safe and effective even for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Reapply insect repellent only as directed. Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing. Finally, if you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first. It does not hurt to ask questions of your pharmacist and your dermatologist.

Knowledge is vital to good service to the families we care about in the California communities we serve. To speak with one of our technicians for service, call 1-800-284-7985. http://kevinmoconnor.blogspot.com